Celebrity Profile _ Rikki O'Neill

      My "real interest" in photography came by chance in the early eighties. I had treated myself to a state of the art SLR camera: the Om20, as a replacement for my Kodak Instamatic. Perhaps the reason for the change was simple - it would look good carried over the shoulder!

      Even with my Instamatic I had always tried to be creative. These photographic shoots were restricted to holidays and the usual family gatherings.

      Then something changed: I wanted a camera that could take "really good pictures". Sadly, this belief still holds true for some! One particular reason for change was my desire to use photography as a means of collecting subject reference material for my work as an Illustrator.

      One day however, I happened to meet a neighbour when I was about to head off on a photo foray, my camera swinging very prominently over my shoulder. This obvious show-off had evidently caught his eye and a discussion on the camera and photography ensued.

      What transpired was the beginning of what has now become a fixation, a love, and a life.

      My neighbour talked me into going along to Dundee Photographic Society; an organisation I didn't know existed.

      It was a daunting experience. Arriving in the auditorium at the local college where the DPS held their meetings, provided that wow feeling - 160 people sitting waiting patiently for the guest speaker to arrive to give his lecture and show his photos. Little did I know at that time, I would be involved in a similar way over the many years ahead.

      I sat at the back, as you do when you are 'a beginner', and watched and listened with great interest. I was not greatly impressed with the images shown and they were not overly special. The talk however was interesting and had humorous moments that for me, lifted the presentation into something acceptable.

      It crossed my mind; is this what photography is about? I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and went along for a further few weeks. I found the images I was seeing in most cases not very exciting and wondered if I could do better!

      The challenge had been set; I joined the club and entered the beginner's section.

      The months went by and I found myself winning club competitions. I moved forward down the auditorium and closer to the advanced winners. I had become noticed - I was now being talked to, being drawn more into this elite group at the front of the hall.

      Two years later, having won the beginner's section and the advanced section plus other trophies, throughout those two years I found myself firmly ensconced in the 'clique'. It was then that my true understanding of photography began. We chatted photography, managed to create an after club visit to the pub where we could discuss photography, equipment, images, judges and all the other topics which are still very relevant today.

      Although I had always been interested in colour photography, slides and Cibachrome prints, I now had been introduced to black and white photography by the club gurus. With their help and looking intensely at books, magazines, and thousands of images, I began to see the beauty of the black and white image.

      It was thereafter necessary to develop the skills in order to produce striking black and white images. With lots of help and understanding from my friend, Malcolm Thomson, a professional photographer, a few years later I started to produce photographs that I thought were of the quality that could do well. I wouldn't desert colour however, and using my artistic skills I started to put colour back into these black and white images.

      Success followed success: not only were my photographs winning club competitions but I also started to send my images to salons. Wow! Getting something accepted at these salons whether slide or print was a real accolade.

      First there were Acceptances, then Honorary Mentions and then my first medal - this was fantastic. My images were now being seen all over the country. Surely this is what participating in photography is all about - take and show? These successes encouraged me to start thinking about applying for my Associateship at the Royal Photographic Society.

      I prepared a series of 15 slides and sent them off, not without serious discussion with two of the older and more experienced members of my club, who both held the ARPS title.

      I waited patiently and nervously, knowing that the selection date had passed. I listened daily for the clunk of the letterbox and the thud of letters or packages as they hit the floor. Weeks went by - eventually it was there, the letter, I didn't even have to open it - it read Rikki O'Neill ARPS. Magic; I had done it, but what was my next challenge?

      My life started to change when invitations to judge and lecture all over the UK started to arrive. I then had the opportunity to meet fellow photographers from all over the country, photographers that would become friends and play a major part in my life as it is today.

      As the saying goes, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since I first started my photography, but the water is still flowing along with, hopefully no chance of drying up.

      I am now a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, and I gained my Masters from The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. I have been added to the Roll of Honour of the Scottish Photographic Federation.

      I've been a Visual Panel Member of the RPS and I am now in my 9th year. I continue to send to salons and continue to have lots of wonderful successes.

      It is always wonderful and very exciting to receive an award and to be acknowledged by one's peers, but for me it is the taking part and having my images accepted and seen all over the world that gives me most pleasure; the awards are a very important bonus. One major highlight to date has been the invitation to join the London Salon of Photography.

      My images have sometimes given reason for some to ask the question. Is it photography or art? I know in my own way I have added that little bit of difference to club and salon photography. Some fellow photographers have said that they have been very influenced by my approach to photography, which for me is a great honour. It is more important to me that these photographers are producing images that are now influencing me! It is a greater honour to know that I have been part of their image creativity.

      "Is it photography or art?" The question will probably continue.

      Photography is a love, a fix; from the early days of my simple still life images to wide-angle portraits, hand coloured black and whites, to the present day where digital photography has overcome all; this has allowed me to become even more creative.

      The evolution of photography from heavy, large format glass plates to today's digital work had raised some serious questions. We are still on the passage of photographic progression, from roll-films, from black and white to colour, from silver salts, auto chrome to Kodachrome, the change in printing papers developers etc.

      Where do we go next: from the 2.5 million camera to the promise of 20 million pixels, let us be aware that the progression is moving very quickly. Where to? A good question.

      The heresy of initially owing a digital camera has gone. The digital medium is our world today. I believe that everything that is happening in photography is a serious, wonderful enhancement - not a replacement.

      I will continue to take images to be creative, try to keep moving forward and hopefully continue with the success that I have experienced for may years.

      One thing is certain, the love of taking the photograph, the love of creating the image, together with the excitement of seeing the finished print and them being accepted in salons around the world, will always be at the forefront of my photography.

      Photography, with the numerous photographic friends I now have from all over the country, is something I cannot be without.

Rikki O'Neill